Friday, July 19, 2013

July 8, 2013

Family,

Wow we moved!! The pictures tell the whole story and it´s amazing we are literally out of the house and in with the grandparents for a little while. I can hardly believe it but know that we were definitely blessed to have sold the house so quickly and to a family that can potentially get baptized that´s awesome :) Not going to lie through this whole move it´s made me think a lot about how lucky I was to grow up in a place like Pepperwood with so many amazing neighbors, friends, ward leaders and just awesome influences that have helped me get to where I am right now. Being in the mission and looking back has helped me realize how the Lord works through other people to touch your lives. I could go on for days about all of the amazing men that were my leaders through scouts, young mens and of course Bishop Clayton and West who both did so much for me to help me make it to the mission. I loved living in Pepperwood but just like the mission things almost always have to change so that the Lord can help us keep on learning, progressing and becoming the people that he wants us to be. I won´t give any special shout-outs or this email will get really really long haha!

This week was a good one just like all the other ones I´ve had in the mission. Seriously to start off I can´t tell you how grateful I am for both of my companions they´re the coolest guys and have taught me so much already they both are going home on August 1st so I´m going to miss them like crazy but don´t worry we´re working and we´re not letting ourselves get trunky! Elder Ah-Kiong is a Samoan and he´s huge like 6´4´´ and 270 pounds but he´s just full of love so I keep telling him I want to hook him up with Shaunie Forte once she gets home so that we can keep hanging out after the mission! Anyways this last week was full of having to run errands and especially taking materials like beds, fans, mattresses and all kinds of other things to missionaries here around the city. It makes me lose a lot of sleep because we always try and do it after all of our appointments in the day and when the missionaries are in their houses. I like getting to go around and see new parts of the country and also get to meet new missionaries. It´s worth the sleep that I end up having to lose :)

One of the things that we do as assistants is that we get to teach in the special leadership training meetings that we have in the mission. This past wednesday we had what´s called "consejos" which is where all of the ZL´s from the mission come into the city and we have a specialized training meeting with them to help them know how to better direct their zones and help the mission have more success. I taught about how the ZL´s role needs to shrink and how the DL´s need to step up and take more responsibility in the success and growth of the zone as a whole. I think that if we can accomplish that we´ll be able to help the missionaries receive more hands on training from their DL´s which will help them become better teachers and learn how to work in their areas in a more efficient way which will help bring us more results.

This coming week we have zone conference which is kind of nerve wracking. We have to teach but this time we have to teach all of the missionaries and not just their leaders. We have two conferences here in the city tomorrow and wednesday and then thursday we have to drive out to David (8 hours away) in order to have our zone conference out their on Friday. So this week is going to be another long and busy one with literally no time in our own area haha but it´s ok it´s going to be a lot of fun to get to go out to a place that I´ve never been in my whole mission.

So you ask about President Carmack. He´s a big change from President Ward who was all animo, excitement and laughing because he has more of a spiritual and business type outlook on the mission so working with him has been different from what we were used to . He´s a very very intelligent man and has three degrees in law, bio-chemical science and something else. I think. Haha and his Spanish is through the roof. He speaks 4 languages (portuguese, french, spanish and english) is here with his daughter and is just a spiritual giant! I love him and am already so excited to get to work a lot with him and help him in whatever he feels we need to do in order to help the mission keep on marching forward!

I love you all and am so thankful for all of the love and support that you show to me. My mission has been an amazing experience and coming down to these last few months is sad but exciting at the same time because I know that I´ve done it the way the Lord wants me to and I know that afterwards I´ll get to have all kinds of new different experiences! I love you and know that this is the only true church of God!

Send him something…come on!

Panama City, Panama Mission

November 2011- November 2013

Why Serve a Mission?

There is a strong tradition of missionary service in the Church. The Savior taught, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Church members consider it a privilege to show their love for other people and the Lord by sharing the gospel. For more information on missionaries please visit www.mormon.org!